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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · suit · season · cell · chest · net · tube · lean

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — a phone
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lean — thin
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. cell — in biology

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com